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Advocacy4u2 - posted on 02/28/2010

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In 1989 I chose to vaccinate my son. With the 18 month vaccines everything changed. He has severe neurological issues now. They have since removed thimerosal (mercury) from vaccines so the FDA knows something they did NOT tell us then. My son and his wife chose to wait until my grand daughter was 6 months old to vaccinate and will do one at a time warning doctors that she may be at risk for severe neurological damage if any type of mercury additive is included. Be informed, ask what additives are IN the vaccine, check family history. The choice should be built on family history and prior knowledge not on flippant attitudes. 2010 is way different medically than 1989 and our access to knowledge is MUCH better. When in doubt ASK a million and one questions!

However, immunization with diphtheria toxoid is protective only against the phage-mediated toxin, and not against infection by the C. diphtheriae organism. Thus immunized persons have less severe disease when infected, but may remain important as ****asymptomatic carriers in the transmission of disease***. Outbreaks in communities with up to 94 percent immunization levels have been reported. Therefore, some authors have challenged whether herd immunity is applicable to diphtheria.http://go.mothering.com/?id=848X156205&u...

This whole social contract is flawed on a number of levels(you know, the whole idea that everyone needs to vaccinate because of social responsibility). It assumes that vaccination=immunity, which we know is not often the case. It assumes that vaccinated individuals cannot be pinpointed in outbreaks and cannot be transmitting illness, which we know is not the case. It assumes that everyone in society is up to date on their boosters (as pointed out, all those adults telling me to get my kids vaccinated, when did they have their last boosters?). It assumes that all of the vaccines themselves prevent transmission, which we know is untrue.

Pertussis is considered an endemic disease, characterized by an epidemic every 2–5 years. This rate of exacerbations has not changed, even after the introduction of mass vaccination – a fact that indicates the efficacy of the vaccine in preventing the disease but not the transmission of the causative agent (B. pertussis) within the population [19].

The effects of whole-cell pertussis vaccine wane after 5 to 10 years, and infection in a vaccinated person causes nonspecific symptoms (3-7). Vaccinated adolescents and adults may serve as reservoirs for silent infection and become potential transmitters to unprotected infants (3-11). The whole-cell vaccine for pertussis is protective only against clinical disease, not against infection (15-17). Therefore, even young, recently vaccinated children may serve as reservoirs and potential transmitters of infection.

Case definition has been particularly problematic in all of the recent DTaP vaccine efficacy trials. For uniform comparative purposes a case definition was suggested by a WHO expert committee.39 This definition required 21 days of paroxysmal cough plus laboratory confirmation of pertussis in the subject or household contact. There are 2 problems with this definition. The first is that a substantial number of B pertussis infections in unvaccinated children are mild and would not meet the case definition. The second is that all pertussis vaccines tend to modify duration and severity of disease rather than completely preventing illness.18,2326-29,35,36,40 Therefore, the WHO definition has made all vaccines look better than they are and it has tended to obscure differences between vaccines.

I think new parents, now more than ever, are confused about what is safe & not safe concerning our children. Cloth diapers or disposable? Solids at 4 months or 6 months? Co-sleeping or sleep in own crib? Back or tummy sleeping? Is cereal in a bottle safe or dangerous? Should I circumsize my son or not? Should I pick my baby up everytime he cries or let him cry it out? Should I vaccinate or not vaccinate?

Good grief. We are all trying our very best as mothers & I believe that we ALL have our baby's best interest at heart. Yes, it's good to do research, but how do you know what research is credible when there are so many differing opinions out there? The bottom line is that we should find out everything we can & then we let our motherly instincts take over about what is best for our own situation.

With that said, I have chosen to vaccinate my 6 month old son. He so far hasn't had any reactions and is a very healthy little boy. I, too, had all my vaccinations over the years and I have a very strong immune system. This doesn't mean that I won't question any furthur vaccinations that he is scheduled to receive.

That is cruel Kylie... Some of us don't have a choice because of medical reasons... did you ever think that your bub could also have selective IGG and IGA deficiency???? If he/she does that means that the vaccinations that your bub receives don't work and that you are basically unnecessarily injecting your child with poison...and yes I said poison... that is because the mercury content in those vaccinations are enough to put down an elephant.. even if your doc says there isn't mercury... every vaccine contains it under another chemical name...

I don't think you have the right to come on here and pass judgment and call us morons.. If you read the post in the first place it is specifically a thread to discuss our choices of non-vaccinating together...not a thread to state how you chose to vaccinate!!!! I think what you said is in poor character... We have not once called any of the vaccinating mommas names... Its a choice... and an educated one at that... and if you choose to come on here and berate us because you feel so high and mighty.. than I feel sorry for you!!!! Do your research next time and tell us something educated if you feel the need to make us feel guilty for our choices.

I will be vaccinating my daughter when she is two years old... when her brain is %80 developed and her functioning system can handle it...and if and only if her test for selective IGG and IGA deficiency comes back negative!!! And this is only because yes I fear the diseases that she could contract but right now the good points on waiting out weigh that fear!!!! And no I don't feel bad about telling you how it is because THAT is how strongly I feel about VACCINATIONS!!!!!!!!

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Nikkole - posted on 03/21/2010

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my lil girl is 5mts old and will 6mts on the 24. and she has had all her shot. she never got a fever with them or any thinking. she never got sick this winter. i wont let her have the flue shot or the n1n1 shot. and maybe not the chicken pox shot. i do knoe that if you do get the flue shot or the chicken pox shot you still can get sick and get the chicken pox. and some town the school wont let you child in with out them being up to date with they shot. i town i live in is the same way they most have all shot beofore they can start school.

my brother in law was not ciccinated correctly and becuase of that before he even turned one he was diagnosed with epilepsy.i wasnt there obviously so i dont know what the vaccinations were that he didnt get but my sister in law and my husband were both vaccinated and they are perfectly fine. and were all around the same things. why would doctors encourage babies be vaccinated and why do schools prefer kids being vaccinated of they shouldnt be?

Amy, there is a lot you do not know about vaccines, the specific diseased they intent to protect against, and the transmission and contraction of disease, judging by many things you've said. I encourage you to educate yourself on these things, before assuming that it is hte unvaccinated that are spreading disease. ;)

we have given my daughter (6 months) all of her shots. we are completly for it because when my husbands older brother was little the doctor didnt give him the correct shots and he now has epilpsy because of it. he can not drive, be in the sun for very long or many other things. also he has the mind of a 9 year old and the memory of a gold fish most of the time. i would much rather have a baby who has a fever for a few days then a baby with medical problems because I chose not to give her the proper shots. i understand that the chances of your child getting any diseases or things of that nature are very slim, but if more and more parents are chosing to not vaxinate against these diseases and viruses they will become more and more common. i am a germophobe in a way because i wont let my daughter play at play areas like the mall but its mostly because of parents who dont vaxinate. i know ill probably get bad responses from this but by all of you non vaxing mommies not giving the proper shots everyone elses children are going to be easier exposed to diseases that your kids can get.

I have choosen to be a non-vaxer. There are too many risks and side effects that I'm just not willing to take the chance for. I do not want toxins put into my children period. She had her first set at 2 months and it was 5 shots all at once and it was a horrible experience. She ran a fever and was up all night. She has not been sick at all. No runny nose, coughing, or ear infections. It's definitely the parents choice to vaccinate or not and I chose to do so because of the linkage of autism and vaccines. The vaccines are just the viruses watered down and one is for diarhea, Everyone has had diarhea for years and why do little babies need that in their body?? But it's totally your choice and if your dr doesn't support you, FIRE THEM!!

To allison, New Holland, not sure where that is, but here in PA you can sign a waiver so your kids can go to school. I am not totally against vaxing my kids, its just that your pumping so many vaxs into your babys when they are so tiny. I am waiting until my Lilly turns three of four and then we will get her vaxed, but only one at a time. She is being homeschooled and no daycare, so doesnt matter bout the school system!

OOOOHHHH yeah, Um I live in Holland and here you may not enter public school without your vaccinations. . . sad but true. In canada (my home country) you can go to school, but you will be suspended if there are any outbreakes of diseases. . . my friend Judy missed our grade 8 grad cause someone got the german measles in some other town. . . they thought she'd get it too.

In all honesty I love this topic, I didn't want to vaccinate my kids but the odds were against me here. . . my theory was, if everyone else is getting vaccinated then my kids won't even get a chance to come in contact with whatever. . . right?

You're some tough mommas with good principles. Hope it all works out for you.

We haven't vaccinated our son, he's 5 and a half months and just had his first flu like symptoms. My partner had pneumonia, so we were a bit worried, but I just breast fed as per usual, ate lots of garlic - had one sleepless night where he woke up regularly through out the night and then he recovered pretty well. Our doctor was very pleased with the way his immune system kicked in. It was his first cold - and not as bad as i thought it might go!

I have not gotten my Lilly vaccinated. She has had two colds. One cold lasted for two weeks, but the doctor wouldn't give me anything for her, so we switched doctors and she got better soon after that. She is right on schedule with her milestones. Is sitting up really well is working on rolling over, she gets onto her side but hasn't figured out how to get the rest of the way. I do not regret not vaccinating her. I believe babies are healthier and end up being smarter.

Respect to all the non-vax Mums on here. I, too, did a lot of research into vaccinations for my son, and while I'm not happy with it, I have decided to get the majority of his shots though on a delayed schedule because we live rurally with livestock and there is also a wave of these disease arriving with immigrants, a new phenomenon for this country, where people usually emigrate!I have a medical background, and although the principles of vaccination are sound, the administration is not, When in nature are pathogens injected into muscle? I would be happier with a mist spray with no added preservatives, but unfortunately that's not an option....yet.

Hello ladies! I am vaccinating my son, but don't get apprehensive. I only read this post because it just never occurred to me that there were some parents that were not getting their children vaccinated. I myself never questioned it (nor did my son's pediatrician ask me), until now. I also thought that your children had to be vaccinated to enter into public school. Wow! I feel almost guilty for not researching this prior to getting the vaccinations.

After thinking about it, hep B vaccination? Seriously? MMR...probably more unlikely to get the the measles, mumps, or rubella than a side effect from the injection. I don't know and may continue to vaccinate, but I will certainly be using some of the websites that some of the ladies posted on here to investigate and will certainly be more educated before going back to the pediatrician with lots of questions.

I grew up in a third world country, so have been vaccinated for pretty much everything under the sun, and I have the immune system of a horse. Seriously, I very rarely get sick and I even more rarely have to take antibiotics when I do. So I don't know about people who are vaccinated getting sick more often. My boys have both been vaccinated more or less on schedule and are both very healthy - neither of them have ever been on antibiotics (one is 2, the

other 6 months) - the 6 month old has never had anything worse than a cough. Both are bang on with developmental milestones.

It's not something I feel super strongly about and I don't pass judgement on moms who don't vaccinate their kids. But, like I said, I grew up in a 3rd world country. I have seen far too many children die or suffer permanent handicaps due to preventable illnesses. It's just not a chance I'm willing to take.

Where I live, they don't give Hep. vaccines to babies, or do the rotavirus, which I would decline anyways. And we don't do any type of flu vaccine, because they contain thimerisol (no other childhood vaccines given in Canada do). I gave my oldest the MMR and chicken pox vaccines, but I'm still kind of iffy on them, so not 100% that this son will get them, at least on schedule. I do tend to be very cautious about giving them medications and stuff. Pretty much the only medication I've ever given either of them is Tylenol or Motrin and that's only when it's really necessary - and my oldest had oral steroids for croup once.

hi i have read the post about children who are vax are more likely to be more sick. if i looked at my son you could say thats true he suffered sepsis at 8 wks old and gastricontrities (not sure on spelling) at 1yrs old he catches everything but i would never go bk and not let him have his vax. as what they protect him from are far worse then wat he has had.

The chances of your child pr baby coming in contact with the diseases they're said to be vaccinated against are marginal. . . as are the the chances of there being adverse affects from the vaccinations themselves. . . In the past there have been serious outbreaks and people have died as a result of contracting such things as small pox reubella german measles etc, whatever. Children ARE strong, I noticed when my boys had the chicken pox. . . .one was over it in a week the other it lasted a bit longer. An adult who contracts the chicken pox will be hit harder. Don't get all up in arms at poeple having opinions. I used to work with a guy who had mumps when he was a kid and was deaf in one ear as a result of it. It's that simple, I take the risk of having complications set off by vaccinating my kids and you accept the risks in not vaccinating your children. . . it's that simple.

i have some of the healthiest kids you'll ever meet. . . like mutants i swear. Vaccinated, all of them. Yeah i know you don't want me on your thread. I like Norreen have a husband and respect his wishes. We/he did his homework and found that while it's most likely that our kids won't come in contact with some of the things they're being vaccinated there are still kids dying of these diseases every day. So i thought why not just go for it and be on the safe side.

It's not runny noses or earaches that frighten me it's things like german measles and small pox and polio that give me the fright. I've heard of all of the complications that can be onset by vaccinations (which is why i was doubtful) but the numbers are so small (which is why he won)

My oldest son is 7 and JUST had his first real infection. . . throat. Didn't recieve any antibiotics though. . . i think thats where the real problems lie, when our bodies never get the chance to build their own immunity to infection and disease.

wow this is an intense topic. as with anything you bring up, some uneducated people will throw their 2 cents in.I am against vaccines but I had to compromise because of my husband. My little girl has had the DTaP shot 2 times. I did A LOT of research from both sides and decided that the DTaP is the ONLY shot i would allow her to get. Pertussis can be fatal in babies under 6 months old. Our Pedi did not vaccinate his children and has a lot of patients who choose not to get vaccines and he told us that he gets about 30 babies a year with pertussis who did not get the vaccine. Also, the side effects for that specific shot are not fatal nor are stored in the same thing that the MMR shot is that is linked to autism.For the majority of the shots today (if you follow the recommended schedule you give your child 80 shots) the side effects outweigh the benefits. Chicken Pox, Measles, Rubella, Mumps, etc are generally not fatal and for the majority of the cases do not require hospitalization. However in the city that I live in there are 200 lawsuits against the MMR shot for adverse side effects including death. All of the side effects occurred within 36 hrs of the shot. With all of that said, realistically, you take a risk with either decision. Your baby could get really sick from the shot or could get really sick without it. Its best to do your research and not be closed minded either way. All you can do is what you think is best for your child and no matter what you believe, the majority of people on this thread (minus some being rude) made their decision based on love for their child and thats all we can do and pray for the best. But I have noticed with my little girl, she is ahead developmentally and has not been sick. (that could be genes or environment.. not being in daycare or a lot of other variables)

oops, forgot to say , Phoebe (who was born on 6th sept) is not yet sitting, but is commando crawling all over the place, adn is also up on all fours and rocking ...... she has four teeth and is eating a little bit of solids..... she shakes and bangs toys for fun, and is an extremeley happy and cruisy baby.

there is a really good group on facebook called VINE for loads and loads of information! neither of my girls are vaccinated, and both have been extremely healthy (compared to vaccinated children) Phoebe got her first cold at 5 months 3 weeks, from a friends 2yr old , but she coped really well and didnt need anything for it. Lily is 7 and is extrememly healthy, the only 'infectious disease'she has had has been chicken pox, which she got when she was 5 and it was a very mild dose. every parent should research what is actually in the vaccinces and the 'possible' side effects before makinga choice! next time youre on facebook join the VINE (vaccincation information network) site, its really good, also IMVA has a great e-book id reccomend reading called 'the terror of pediatric medicine' also i would say for those people who do not vaccinate (well everybody should do this anyway...) make sure you feed your kids healthy food, and BREASTFEED . homoeopathy is useful aswell .

Tara, I live in Ontario, and it is NOT MANDATORY TO HAVE YOUR CHILDREN VACCINATED. All you have to do is go to city hall in your town sign a letter which you print off of Health Canada website stating that you are aware of your choice, adn you send it to Ministry of Health and you can give it to your child's school. It is against the law to force you to vaccinate.

Tara, I'm not sure about Canada, but here in the US we have the choice to enroll our children in public school without vaccines. All states provide some kind of exemptions. All but two states have religious exemptions, some have philosophical exemptions, and all of them have medical exemptions.

Wow. Dominique.. I know you are young and vibrant, but you've taken things way out of context, and you need to stop bringing up old drama into new threads. That's not very mature. I was never rude to you, just stating the facts. You obviously took it badly and now are holding a grudge. YOu really need to get over it, because I had no clue what you were talking about, and still have no clue why you would be attacking me now for trying to educate you about the immature infant gut and how it cannot yet process solids and that there is no nutritional value to rice. If you are okay with yoru decision to feed solids early, then be okay with it. But you having to come back to my thread to attack me and call me rude for something that was said in another thread and not even recently shows how you are not confident in your parenting choice to feed solids early. If you are going to do it, you should be confident that you are doing the right thing. And if you read this and think "I am confident" then you need to prove that and stop attackign someone else that simply had a different opinion and tried to educate you. People that are secure and confident in their choices don't do that.

Now, please BACK ON TOPIC. And no more belittling non-vax mommies. This thread is NOT a debate thread. IT is a thread for non-vaxing mommies to get together.

Non vaxing mommies: have you find a doctor you like yet, or are you still struggling to find a ped that will see you?

I don't have a problem with what you do with your child, I was just giving my opinion on the subject which I am aloud to do. I also did not do it in a rude way!!! You on the other hand have once told me i was starving my baby for giving him cereal which isn't true. You could give your opinion on what i am feeding my baby but you said it in a extremely rude way!! So before you go telling everyone that they need to say everything they are thinking in a nice way you need to do it yourself.

Living in Ontario I do not have much choice in getting my child vaccinated. For our children to go to school they need to have proof of certain vaccinations. Peta, please read this article, just so you're aware of what you may need to do to get your child enrolled in school:

I am not sure how I feel about not having to get my son vaccinated, it'd be nice to have a choice. That being said, I think I would still choose to get him vaccinated, the literature I have read makes me feel that there are more pros than cons; however, I do respect everyone's choice to choose, nor do I feel anyone is being a bad mother for not vaccinating their child. They are just doing what they think is best for this child and that should be respected.

Tessa we are all aloud to speak are minds as freely as we would like. Personally you have insulted me plenty of times in different threads so you should really take your own advice when tell people not to insult you. I never said anything about you being a bad mom I would never say that to anyone!!! You do not see other people's prospective on things and assume everyone needs to parent like you. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion whether you like it or not. I was simply giving mine on this thread.

I vaccinated my first daughter, but not my second and honestly I haven't really noticed a difference in how sick one gets over the other. If I choose to get my other daughter vaccinated, she won't get the chicken pox vaccine. My first daughter broke out almost as bad as if she would have gotten the chicken pox. As far as them getting over colds and stuff faster, they both seem to get over it at the same time. A few weeks ago, both my girls got a cold and were sneezing and had runny noises and all that stuff. My vaccinated daughter seemed to pick it up first, but she was also visiting her grandma while her littler sister stayed home with me.My oldest is already 18 months and my youngest is almost 6 months.

Kylie, first off, this is a link for non-vaxing mommies. Second.....do some reading before you call people morons, because the only moron here is you for insulting others. That is completely rude and inappropriate. I have done very detailed research before I chose to or not to vaccinate my children, and trust me ....they don't go around spreading disease. They are both very healthy little girls. SO ....if you do not agree with no vaccinating .......do not post anything here, instead find yourself a blog where you can talk to all the vaccinating mommies.

I'm also a non vaxer pretty much. My eldest daughter had the mmr vaccine just before her 4th birthday as measels were going around Toronto and there were many reported outbreaks. As for my 6 month old she has not had one vaccine and she has not had any sickness what so ever, also she is exclusively breast fed. I think the older the child is and the vaccines should be selective.

I did not make this thread for rude people to come in an tell us we are bad moms for our choices. So if you don't like our choice, be quiet and get out of our NON VAXING thread. ;) And then go make your own pro vaxing thread.

I did my research to but i decided to forgo the potential risk that are very rare !!! There is potential in everything for bad side effects but I personally have seen the side effect of not vaccinated, my youngest cousin never got a vaccination and was in the hospital twice for over a month before she was one. She got the flu at 2 months and whooping cough at 5 months and almost died each time. Her entire life she has been sick with diseases that cold have prevented if her mother came to her senses. I am sorry but after seeing how sick she was and how she had to struggle with sickness her entire life there was no doubt in my mind whether i was going to vaccinate.

I'm proudly not vaccinating my bub. I just wish every parent would be openminded enough to research the truth about vaccinations, instead of just taking the word of doctors. It frustrates me because the information is out there, but for some reason people either just don't know about it or aren't interested. Before letting your most precious little thing in your life get jabbed with a needle filled with garbage, just make an informed decision. I've read many books, watched dvds & videos, visited websites so i know that this isn't just someone making these things up. Also heaps of doctors have come forward, so the information is coming from reliable sources.

The most reliable information I found came from a dvd I bought, where where 15 people, including Dr. Viera Scheibner (a PhD researcher), five medical doctors, other researchers, and parents' experiences, reveal what is really going on in relation to illness and vaccines. You can watch it here. http://vodpod.com/watch/2592128-vacc...e...

These are just a few of the facts about vaccines.

The main advances in combating disease over 200 years have been better food and clean drinking water. Improved sanitation, less overcrowded and better living conditions also contribute.

The dangers of childhood diseases are grossly exaggerated in order to ensure mass compliance.

There is no scientific evidence to support vaccination. The only true immunisation is natural. Natural immunity depends upon health not disease. Antibodies are not a measure of immunity. Vaccination isn't immunisation. We are taught to believe that vaccines are safe and effective in preventing diseases, but are shielded from reports that come to opposite conclusions.

The high rate of adverse vaccine reactions is being ignored and denied by conventional medicine.

The diseases the vaccines apparently have reduced, were already reducing before the vaccines were introduced. They usually show a graph of the disease reducing after the vaccines were given, but fail to show the graph before this date. Example of a graph: http://www.vaclib.org/intro/present/njpa...

And to say something about non vaccinated kids who get sick, in my experience, the non-vacccinated kids get sick less and less seriously. I wasnt vaccinated & i rarely get sick, and if i do its mild. Its been the same for my bub, I had a cold for a couple of days & all he got was a little runny nose & was gone in a couple of days too. Every vaccinated kid thats in my family get sick more often. This is because vaccines attack the immune system unnaturally & weaken it.

personally I believe that modern medicine is there for a reason and we should use it to our advantage. I don't want my son at risk for life threatening diseases because other children are bringing them around him because they aren't vaccinated. In my opinion i think it is a little bit irresponsible not to get your child any vaccination with the way diseases are spread so quickly in parks and childcare centers or even at the place you or your husband work. My son was born 9/27 and has every vaccination and is thriving in every developmental process there is.... weight gain, milestones, neurologically ect...

I haven't vacinated my son for personal reasons that have come up in my hubby's family but I have no problem against people who do or don't vacinate. I myself was going to vacinate my son till I got further information on it so now I'm waiting.

But that girl near the top (Kyli) that posted about parents that don't vacinate are morons; all I have to say about her is that she's the moron for coming into a chat and not reading any of the posts and saying that we're stupid for not vacinating our children. If any of you mothers out there think that she may be right don't listen to her. You do what is right for your child and stick to your guns and don't listen to crap like hers. I was very offended by her post but I'm not going to let her comment change my mind.

Power to all those mothers out there that haven't vacinated their little girls and boys!!! I know it's a hard decission and there will be people that will tell you the same thing as that lady at the top did here but be true to yourself and your kids!!!!

I'm new to Circle of Moms but felt compelled to this conversation. To answer your questions Tessa - my baby has had all of her vaccines near to schedule. She had a cold mostly stuffy nose/chesty sounds no fever from day 7 to day 28 as I was in labour with the flu (try to push with a blocked nose - not fun). She has just contracted her second head cold / cough no fever at 5.5 months from childcare which she has had for 5 days so far. Not sure what developmental milestones would have to do with this thread as I don't think giving vaccines would delay those milestones unless you're of the opinion that our vaccinated babies are going to be retarded or something?

Now here's my take on this thread. A baby is going to be exposed to toxins or get common colds regardless of if they are vaccinated or not. Lets say you don't vaccinate and yet your household and baby is exposed to cigarette smoke...Toxins. Lets say you don't vaccinate and baby is exposed to the outside air filled with... Toxins. Lets say you don't vaccinate and there is an outbreak of a communicable disease in your child's school or childcare where often the spread of infection is usually set in before you have a chance to remove your child from the school...could be serious consequences and in my opinion is a huge risk that I'm not willing to take.

I also question the research you all have undertaken. Is this a scientific study (obviously not funded by the vaccine makers themselves to be fair) that you base your research on? Because I would be of the opinion that if you are basing it on a few choice articles or websites about not vaccinating thus creating a fear based decision its just plain ignorant. However if you can show me a bona fide study then I will happily place my foot in my mouth and be open to read said study and make informed decisions.

I think its a very personal choice and as parents who obviously love their child we get to make the choice and i dont feel anyone should be judged for doing them or not doing them. All of my kids have been vaccinated and all are very healthy kids but who is to say if i decided not to get them done that they wouldnt be super healthy as well. I do take offence to the comment you made Tessa about the mom's who choose to vaccinate putting toxins and poison into our children. I dont think that needed to be said( i took it as a jab, insult) as the moms who vaccinated didnt say that you were doing damage by letting your children be exposed and possibly catch a deadly disease. anyway im not a fighter(dont want to start anything) Im just a mom doing the best for her children in my own way just as you are a mom doing the best for your child in your own way and that's whats important!

My husband and I have decided not to vaccinate, we have done extensive research and are getting pressure from his parents to vaccinate, his mom is a health nurse. Our daughter is 5.5 months and is hitting her milestones quicker than her 9 month old cousin who is being vaccinated. I've also been EBF and my nephew is formula fed, I don't know if that matters... Many of my friends children who are vaccinated have had numorous colds and my child has been healthy since birth.

There are so many vaccines, and I'm so glad everyone is researching whether they're vaccinating or not. I just wanted to point out a couple of things that are still on the internet but not good information that a lot of mom's who aren't vaccinating have read (I'm in school for PNP after being an RN for 11 years so I get the latest and greatest info lately :). The JAMA article on the MMR in 1998 has been pulled because of inaccurate information. I'm not sure JAMA has ever pulled an article so it's a huge deal. Also Dr. Wakefield has had his medical license revoked so we shouldn't be trusting those articles. Thanks, and good luck with your babies!

After reading some of the comments above I didn't even want to reply! I think as moms we need to support each other,not throw one another under the bus for having different opinions. My son, Pierce was vaccinated at his 2 month check up. He ended up getting 5 shots and stopped breathing. It scared me so much that I ended up spending hours doing research and decided to not vaccinate any further when I couldn't find any information stating that vaccinations actually worked! I think as mothers we need to do what is best for our children and families, even if that is going against what the doctors and everyone else says. Pierce was born 9/25/09 and has hit all his milestones early. He got a cold after being around his cousin that was sick, but he got over it in 2 days.

I like people to make informed choices and yes there have been scary articles that have come out of vaccinations but also there are REALLY scary things that come out of not vaccinating your kids. Look into measles mumps and pertussis. I know people that are sterile from having mumps as a child and another that is deaf. I have seen pertussis recently and man, these kids are sick! There are no treatments to a lot of these illnesses and a child's airway is only so big-it doesn't take much swelling to close it up.

Irregardless of vaccinations or not, children contract some ridiculous statistic like 500 viruses before the age of 5 of varying degrees. Handwashing, rest and fluids are the best things for treatment. The reason for this stat is perhaps, in my opinion because kids bounce back quickly and antibodies make for stronger adults.

I do agree that they seem to be getting a little ridiculous with the number of vaccines. Having said that, the illnesses/viruses seem to be getting stronger and smarter and more difficult to treat...Like SARS...

All I'm saying is if you are going to to do the reading-read about the illnesses you are choosing not to vaccinate your kids against, as they are making comebacks, and choose whether it is worth the risk or not.

Personally, if my child got really sick, or God forbid DIED, because of an illness I could have prevented I would never forgive myself.

I have not vaccinated my son Aidan & he has had two colds since he was born (9-25-09) the first one only lasted for 1 week and he did not experience any fevers with it. His second cold was from other children that came to our house that were sick. I was very upset that my husband's father brought the children to my house while they were sick. It was too late once I realized that their noses were running and they were coughing - the damage was done! He did not experience any fevers with that cold either. He has had a runny nose for over a week but he just cut his first two bottom teeth in the past few days, so I'm sure that is just from his teeth. My two toddler girls have had strep throat & two viruses and he did not catch either of those. So far he's been a very healthy child.

I had the my 3 girls vaccinated b/c I was told by everyone that I needed to. This time around I finally did enough of my own research and I have refused any future vaccines for my 2 toddler girls. Here is a very good website for information regarding vaccines that your pediatrician may NOT tell you.

all 3 of my sons have had all the vaccines offered.i think if more people went through what we did with our youngest who is now 6mths old,he was 9 wks early n extremely ill he needed oxygen for first 4 mths of his life then you wouldnt risk not vaccinating.we cant risk him getting an illness just because we selfishly dont like the idea of him enduring an injection thats for the childs benefit!!!and especially after seeing the affects of it in my own family....my cousin wasnt given any vaccines and caught whooping cough when she was 1 and she nearly died!!!!surely any loving parent understands that a minute of pain in their childs leg is better than them being seriously ill but thats my opinion.and i also breastfeed my sons ive only just finished feeding my 3 yr old and i still feed my 6mth old and 2 yr old.wouldnt dream of formula.i love my boys and only ever want what is best for them!

Wow this is like the breastfeeding topic lol. I have 4 beautiful kids all vaccinated. My first didn't get sick until he was nearly 2 years, my second got sick alot in his first and then he ended up with asthma (from his fathers side) my third got a few colds and my fourth who is 6 months has never been sick. I have never had a problem with the vaccines. I have always been edgy about them and have debated about them alot but I have worked as a teacher and teachers aide in schools where there has been waves of whooping cough. A wee babe died from it. I feel that because I work where i do and my kids are starting school I can't put them or other kids at risk. This is my point of view I have a few friends that have chosen not to vacinate for there own reasons and that is perfectly fine with me. All I can really say is that we choose to vaccinate or not vaccinate for the same reasons and that is we all love our children very much

AHHH icant help but have a say on this one... very controversial topic! In my opinion those who choose not to vaccinate are putting there own child plus other peoples children at risk of life threatening diseases and illnesses. If i had a choice (which i do!) between my little boy suffering from a common cold for a few weeks or that cold turning into whooping cough and therefore putting his life at risk... i think its quite obvious the choice id be making... because the health of my child comes first in our family and is of the highest priority. And i would hate to then be responsible for giving any other babies whooping cough (or any other disease or illness) if they were still too small to have had all their injections! There needs to be some social responsibilty as far as im concerned. By looking after my baby and getting all the necessary vaccinations im also looking after the babies of other mothers around the world! But hey thats just my opinion!!

I'm all about freedom of choice to vaccinate or not...I myself am doing a modified schedule...and I may not be too popular by saying this BUT I am totally appalled by Mel's statement:"We also think that if other children are getting vaccinated then there shouldn't be a problem for our kids!!"If you are basing your decision on this, and I know this wasn't the primary reason for not vaccinating the child, but I find this extremely selfish and totally unreliable. If you think injecting children with foreign chemicals is wrong then why would you be happy to benefit from someone else's child who was. So you don't want to risk neurological consequences from vaccines with your own child by why not benefit from others that have? We don't see these diseases much anymore because we have vaccines but not all countries make them such a priority. It is easy for any disease carrying person from another country to come to your own and put your not vaccinated child at risk.

I am in no way degrading anyone and I truly feel every parent has the right to choose what is right for them but I totally disagree with relying on other parents to get their kids vaccinated so kids who are not vaccinated can benefit from them. I am vaccinating my baby boy, slowly but surely. Like most mothers, I want what's best for my child and it's scary to not know what exactly is entering my baby's body but I do find it worth the risk.